Nose
The highly complex nose gently wafts from the glass, slowly revealing layer after layer of intriguing aromas.
Palate
On the palate, rich espresso is juxtaposed with the vibrancy and juiciness of a roadstand blackberries while notes of holiday spices and cassis weave seamlessly throughout the wine. As if a passing memory, the wine finishes… piquing the senses with hints of black fruits, cocoa dust and earth. Superb tannins and acid balance has continued to keep this wine lively. This wine is currently approachable upon it's 2009 Release. Properly cellared, it will continue to evolve and gain complexity through 2019.
Growing Conditions
On a perch overlooking the Napa Valley, high above the fog line, our estate vineyard is the rocky home to our Bordeaux varieties and Chardonnay.
Varieties Grown: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Chardonnay
Year Planted: 1999
Acres Planted: 72
Elevation: 1,500 to 2,100 feet
Soil: Rocky outcropping in the higher elevations; Bressa-Dibble (rocky loam) in the lower elevations
Row Orientation: Northeast to Southwest
2004 Pahlmeyer Pièce de Résistance is the debut vintage of a blend of our best Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. It is now showing what an intense Cabernet Sauvignon has to gain with some bottle aging.
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Bottling
It was bottled unfined and unfiltered on May 11, 2006.
Winemaking
The grape clusters were hand-sorted, and once de-stemmed, the berries were sorted again by hand on the way to tank. After four to five days of pre-fermentation cold maceration in small open-top fermentors, the fruit began 100% native yeast fermentation. Two to three weeks later, the fruit was gently pressed and moved to barrel where it finished primary and secondary fermentations.
Aging
The wine continued to age in 85% new French oak – a combination of Taransaud and St. Martin barrels – for eighteen months.
Appearance
In the glass, the dark plum core gives way to garnet edges.
